Shallow Play
by 2splinters
Summary: Two years after Link defeated Ganondorf, multiple deaths with mysterious causes emerge over all of Hyrule. Queen Zelda enlists her two most trusted allies and friends, Link and Sheik, to investigate these strange events and put an end to the matter, but things are never that simple for Link. Rating will go up later.
1. Chapter 1

Link was brushing Epona when he was summoned by the Queen. A slightly out-of-breath errand boy, whom looked no older than 10 or 11, jogged up to him holding a letter sealed with the Queen's stamp.

"Letter from the Queen, Sir. She requests that you report to her offices immediately." the boy panted, then turned on his heels and ran in the direction he came. Link looked after the boy for a second, curious as to how busy the castle probably kept the child daily, then remembered the letter in his hands. He looked down at the envelope and quickly unsealed the wax stamp, unfolding the paper and started reading the words slowly.

Link had never been taught to read very well growing up in the Kokiri forest, namely because Kokiri were always taught to read by their fairy companions. Ever since Navi had been gifted to Link, she started to help him learn to read. She had initially been shocked that he hadn't known how to read many words, but she told him it made sense if he had indeed been fairy-less for all of his 10 years of life. From the very first day that the two had met, she had become his reading teacher and best friend. Now Link was able to read most things, though not large or complicated words, and only at a slow pace. At the moment, his little blue friend was sleeping in for the day, having stayed up late the night before playing in the trees of the courtyard.

As Link read the short letter, worry started to form in his gut.

"Link, please report to my offices as soon as you get this. There have been strange occurrences happening as of late and you may have a new mission on the horizon.

Your Queen,

Zelda"

He starred at the letter for a few extra seconds, making sure he had read it right, then stuffed it in the pocket of his dirty white work shirt. Link put Epona away in the horse's grazing field near the stables and made sure she was taken care of, quickly taking off in the direction of Zelda's offices.

After he had defeated Ganon and freed Hyrule from its seven years of turmoil, the Princess-turned-Queen quickly began making repairs to the ruins of the Castle and Castle Town. All of the citizens working on rebuilding the town and castle were so overjoyed that Ganon had been defeated that their enthusiasm helped all of the repairs become finished in less than six months. Now, it had nearly been two years since Link had defeated Ganondorf and life had gone back to normal for most of the survivors of Ganon's reign.

As Link reached the large wooden doors of the Offices, he stopped and waited as the two guards on either side of the doors recognized his face and made haste to let him through. He wasn't completely sure why most people whom had never interacted with him before were nervous in close proximity to him. Perhaps it was that he had saved all of Hyrule only two years ago? Or was it some sort of aura about himself that made them eager to please him? Link shrugged to himself as the doors were opened wide.

He walked in and found Zelda sitting straight ahead at her large wooden desk, whispering to Sheik who stood on the side of the desk closest to Link and listening quietly. Link brightened instantly at the sight of the Sheikah, having become good friends since the war ended, but then realized that if Sheik were here then this must be a very serious manner and frowned slightly.

As he approached the desk, Zelda and Sheik turned to look at Link in surprise, probably so caught up in whatever they were saying as to not even notice the blonde figure walk in. Zelda gave him a tired smile and beckoned him to come stand across from her. Sheik gave a curt nod in acknowledgement to Link, their eyes meeting in a silent conversation that told him that this was indeed a dire situation.

"I'm sorry to have bothered you with no warning in advance, Link, but there appears to be trouble stirring in Hyrule again." the Queen mumbled cryptically, resting her elbow on the desk and her chin in her hand. She looked exhausted, dark bags under her eyes, skin slightly more pale than usual, and hair looking as though she had been tugging at it repeatedly in thought, a habit she had picked up during the Reconstruction.

"Zelda, what's happened? Are you alright?" Link asked quietly, eyes burning into hers. After first meeting the Princess, he would have never even imagined to address her so casually, but after spending so much time with her these past two years they'd become close, almost like siblings.

The Queen scrunched up her nose and looked at Link, shaking her head. "If only. Have you heard of the mysterious deaths happening lately? The ones where people are found dead with tar clogging their throats and mouths?" she spoke, and Link nodded slowly.

"People have described the deaths of the people as 'looking as though they choked on the tar; as if it comes from their stomach like slow-rising bile that they suffocate on.' That seems odd, does it not?" Link and Sheik both nodded at the same time, watching Zelda raptly.

She stood abruptly, starting to pace. "What of it, Lady Queen?" Sheik asked after a slight pause and an exchanged look between himself and Link, his normally even tone giving way to slight concern for Zelda's wellbeing. When problems arose in Hyrule it often affected the Queens health personally, Link remembered. She glanced at Sheik and gave him a worried look as she stopped pacing behind her chair.

"If it had only been one or two cases of this strange event, I wouldn't have gotten so worked up over it. However, currently there have been over twelve reported cases of this in the past two months. After some investigation, it seems that these attacks have been directed at the parents or guardians of young children or teenagers whom went missing at approximately the same time as the strange deaths." Zelda huffed, looking even more worn than before, and sat back down at her desk, resting her elbow on the hard surface. She put her chin in her hand, looking up at the two male figures standing before her with their undivided attention.

"I've been having strange dreams the past fortnight or two. In them, a tar-like substance drips from the mouths of every adult in Castle Town and Kakariko Village, and all of the children are gone. The substance erupts from Death Mountain and even flows through the Zora's River in my dream, completely turning the water black and thick. There's not much else I remember from my visions, but I don't think I need any more signs for me to know that something's wrong. I just don't know what exactly that is yet."

I have my top scientists examining samples of this substance from the past two victims fervidly, and another team examining the bodies from which the tar came. However," she paused, casting her gaze at her desk in thought, then looking back up at the two men. "I don't think this is purely coincidental that this strange event is happening so often, or that the children of these people have gone missing. I was hoping to ask you two, my best and most reliable resources, to investigate this matter where it all started: Kakariko Village." She gave them a hopeful stare, even going so far as to push her lower lip into a pout to lighten the dark mood cast upon the room.

Sheik chuckled slightly despite the dire news, the Queen's sense of humor welcome in return for this troubling information. Link smiled warmly at her expression, as she looked almost like a child begging for a puppy. Sheik glanced at his comrade, whom gave a confident nod, then looked back at the Queen.

"Lady Queen, it would be an honor for us to assist you in any way possible in this grim situation." Sheik spoke formally yet firmly, and to anyone but Zelda and Link it would seem like he didn't hold any background history with the Queen, but having lived with her in hiding for seven years while Link slept in the Sacred Realm made the statement anything but true.

Zelda smiled, highly pleased that her two closest companions and friends were willing to investigate the matter. Although Link could tell that she was withholding information by the way her smile seemed too tight at the corners, he decided to leave it be for now and wait for her to reveal the secrets in due time.

After she told the two that they would be leaving at dawn the next morning and gave them directions to the household that they would start their investigation at, she dismissed them from her offices saying that she would see them later that night at supper.

Link and Sheik both left the Queen to her business and cleared the room, hearing the rustling of papers and scrolls behind them as Zelda continued to work. As they walked down the hall in silence, both lost in thought about the new mission, Sheik turned his head to Link.

"Link, would you care to join me at the stables? I need to make sure that Delia is properly rested and prepared before tomorrow's ride." Sheik spoke in a subdued voice, but it was obvious that he wanted to speak about more than their horses. Link nodded and the two made their way to the stables in silence.


	2. Chapter 2

Once they arrived at the stables, Link whistled for Epona and walked with Sheik to where his horse Delia stood, standing contentedly and watching the two men from her spot. Epona trotted up to them looking slightly annoyed, but present none the less, and Link smiled at her and rubbed her neck affectionately. As Sheik slipped into the stall he grabbed a brush from the wooden wall and began brushing his palomino horse's white mane, eyes narrowed in concentration.

"Link, do you think another evil being like Ganon could be trying to rise? This obviously does not seem to be any ordinary string of occurrences, and if someone powerful is behind this then I fear for the worst." Sheik mumbled softly, eyes focused on brushing his horse but his mind elsewhere. Link thought for a moment, eyes wandering on Sheik's face before he spoke.

"I do have a feeling that someone, or something, is behind this; it's too unnatural. I can't form an opinion without investigating this first. I think we should focus on one thing at a time, sound good?" Link questioned, giving a soft smile and resting his forearms against the stable door to lean against.

Sheik glanced at him through his bangs, an unreadable emotion reflecting in his eyes, before he smiled. Link couldn't actually see him smile through his cowl, but the crinkle at the corner of Sheik's eyes gave away plenty. He just wished that one day he would have the privilege of seeing the Sheikah without his cowl, he thought on a glum note.

Shrugging the damp thought away, Link nodded to Sheik with a bright smile and led Epona back to her stable just a few stalls down from Delia's. As Link put her up for the evening, he couldn't help but feel that Sheik's feelings on this were right.

At supper, the room was filled with a somewhat awkward silence. Zelda looked about ready to fall asleep in her stew, Link noticed, and Sheik stealthily scooped the meal into his mouth while still hiding behind his cowl. Link silently glared at the cowl as he ate his own meal, having never liked the item but respecting Sheik enough not to bother him about it.

Navi was sitting on the table beside Link's plate, shoveling small bits of food in her mouth from Link's platter and drinking water from his goblet. It made Link smile to see his little friend eating so earnestly, reminding him of his childhood after he had acquainted her.

Once the four of them were finished, Zelda wished them good luck on their inquiries in Kakariko and bid them goodnight, asking Navi to keep an eye on 'the boys' with a tired grin, and left with three guards following her to her room. The two men made eye contact after she had disappeared from sight, and Link couldn't help but ask based on the expression in Sheik's eyes, "Are you that concerned about the incidents, Sheik?"

Sheik sighed and looked down, glaring softly at the flooring like it had personally offended him. "…No. But I am concerned for what they may mean." He paused, looking out the window to Links left. "I'm going to the library to do some research. Goodnight, Link." Sheik spoke softly, looking back into Links eyes. An electric shock of sorts went down Links spine just before Sheik turned away, swiftly walking in the direction of the library.

Link starred at the corner Sheik disappeared around with Navi chuckling from her spot on his head. He was knocked back into reality moments later by an older maid with a laundry basket on her hip walking around the same corner. When she looked up and noticed Link, she gave him a look that resembled what one give to feces on the bottom of their shoe. Link quickly turned away and sped to his rooms, a deep blush creeping up his neck, Navi cackling away.

By the time the three set off for Kakariko, the sun was fresh in the sky and the horses more than ready for a good stretch. As hoofs pounded hard on the dirt path, Link chanced a glance at Sheik after an hour or two of riding. His eyes were narrowed slightly in thought, but overall he seemed to be in a better mindset about this mission than he had been the night before.

Link idly wondered what had happened to help ease the Sheikah's mind. Perhaps he had read something helpful to the investigation in the library? Link shrugged to himself, simply pleased that Sheik wasn't so bothered anymore. Navi tugged at his hair in his hat as she made herself more comfortable, and the familiar gesture eased Link's thoughts.

As hours past, it seemed like they would never reach Kakariko Village, but just as the thought popped into Link's head the archway and stairs became visible in the distance. He smiled to himself at the sight, delighted that their long ride was almost over, and looked at Sheik whom was expressionless save for the slight relieve in his eyes.

Once the two men and fairy had arrived to the Village and rented stalls for their horses, they stood near the entrance of the bustling town and pulled out the scroll Zelda had sent to them this morning by the same errand boy from yesterday.

As Sheik and Navi's eyes quickly flitted across the page, Link took longer to read through the instructions and take it all in. Zelda really didn't give much information as to how to start the investigation, and Link quirked his lips downward at the vague wording.

 _"Try to find out as much information as you can. Impa should be arriving in town in two days' time, get more details from her._

 _Love, Zelda"_

Sheik sighed and rolled the parchment up, stuffing it back in his bag that hung off his shoulder. Navi crossed her arms as she flitted between the two men, frustrated.

"How are we going to look into these deaths and stuff if we don't know where to start?" she asked, finally settling on Link's shoulder with a little huff.

"Perhaps it would be wise to talk to some of the town's guards and go from there." Sheik spoke, glancing around the immediate area as the setting sun dimmed the sky. Link nodded in agreement, looking for a guard as well when he noticed one not too far away sitting outside a pub with a drink in his hand and a group of townsmen surrounding him. Link pointed to the man and Sheik's gaze followed, though he seemed apprehensive once he caught sight of him. "I'm not sure how much help this man will be… But there's no harm in asking. Come." They walked over to where the group of laughing, slightly drunken men sat at the table and waited for a lull in conversation to take action.

"-And then, the guy was a'runnin! Can you believe it? I only threatened to knock him over the head once and he was dashin' off like a plucked cucco! Ha!" The table of men laughed noisily at the guard's joke and made more than one passerby glance over in annoyance. Only once the guard looked up and noticed Link and Sheik waiting by the table did he stop laughing. All the other men looked to where the guards gaze was and stopped as well, looking annoyed.

"Whaddya boys want? You kids need to go home, it's startin' to get dark and ya don't want yer mommies getting worried, do ya?" The guard hollered at the two men, and Navi flew into Link's hat whispering nasty things about the loud guard. The table burst with another fit of laughter, and Link sighed quietly as his patience started to run thin. He could handle puzzles and dungeons with relative ease, but dealing with people was a completely different maze that he didn't like to go through. Before Link could do anything, a loud thud made everyone stop where they were, even one or two people walking by.

Sheik had pulled a small dagger from his thigh strap and stabbed it into the table near the closest man's hand, barely missing the man's pinkie finger. The man yelped and fell back out of his chair, scrambling to stand up and running off. The guard's eyes narrowed as a thick, hostile tension filled the air. Link couldn't help but glance between Sheik and the man, anxiously awaiting to see who would make the first move. It was Sheik.

"My name is Sheik of the Sheikah tribe, and I am a part of the Royal Guard of Hyrule. This here is my companion Link, the Hero of Time and a Knight of Queen Zelda herself." Sheik gestured to Link where he stood behind him, still starring the man down. "We've come to Kakariko on important business from the Queen. Tell me, have any of you men heard of children going missing and adults suffocating on black oil?" Sheik spoke firmly and to the point, pulling his dagger out of the table and wiping the blade off on his wrist wraps before sliding it back into its place. The group of men seemed to sober instantly after hearing the last sentence, a look of fear and sorrow in all of their eyes. "Guard?" Sheik beckoned, raising a thin eyebrow.

"Yes…" The guard spoke up, shifting his eyes from the table to Sheik and Link. "There have been many murders lately. Why'd the Queen send you two here?" He questioned, narrowing his eyes slightly in silent judgement.

"We're here to investigate these events and put them to an end." Link spoke up, stepping beside Sheik and crossing his arms. "If you could give us any information on where the first or latest place these attacks happened at, it'll help us stop them faster." The guard starred the two of them down, his expression getting more hostile as the moments passed, before a man a few seats away from him spoke up.

"I can show you where one of the attacks happened. Follow me," the plain looking man said, standing up from the table. "I'll catch up with you guys some other time." He spoke apologetically to his friends, and something about him made Link feel like this was more personal for him than for the others.

As the four of them set off to wherever the man was leading them, Sheik took up conversation to find out more information as the distance from the guard grew further. "You have our gratitude for helping us in whatever way you can, sir, thank you. Although I do have two questions: What is your name? And why did only you speak up back there?" As they kept walking, the man sighed and lowered his gaze to the ground in dejection.

"My name is Jole, and my sister and brother-in-law were murdered and my niece kidnapped. I was the first one to walk in on the scene, and I want to do anything I can to help get rid of the bastard who did this to my family and many others." Jole seemed almost pained to speak of what he saw, but he earned the two boy's sympathy as well as Navi's, who had poked her head out from under Link's hat to listen better. "It's absolutely horrifying." Sheik paused, letting a moment of silence pass in respect for the man's fallen family before speaking up again.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Jole." Sheik paused, contemplating on what to say next. "Can you tell us when this happened?" he asked softly as they turned a corner that led to a house on the edge of the city. The house ahead sat alone in front of a small forest of trees looking absolutely deserted, as if the people living there had just got up and left without packing. As the three of them walked towards the building, a shiver went down Link's spine and he looked around to see if anyone, or anything, was watching. Making note that it seemed they were alone, Link turned his attention back to Jole just as he started to speak.

"This is where the first attack happened."


End file.
